Lara Hertzog didn't sign with her initial college choice. She wound up with a pretty nice deal anyway.

Hertzog, a senior and the two-time CIF Division V-A Girls Basketball Player of the Year as Valley Christian Academy's center, signed a national letter of intent Thursday in the VCA athletic office to play for San Diego Christian College of El Cajon.

“I feel the Lord led us to go there,” Lara's mother Jackie Hertzog said in the VCA office. She, Lara's father Fritz and younger sister Una were all at the signing.

Jackie Hertzog said with the combined athletic, academic and leadership scholarship package her daughter will receive, “Almost everything's paid for.

“What really clinched it was when Lara was walking upstairs to the bookstore, there was Tiffani Datu walking downstairs.” Datu is a VCA graduate, and she plays volleyball for San Diego Christian. VCA coach Stan Bickley's son Chad is an assistant coach for San Diego Christian's men's basketball squad.

Lara Hertzog had been wanting to play for Biola University since at least the beginning of her senior basketball season. She went so far as to visit the campus.

“Biola didn't come through with what was originally implied,” said Jackie Hertzog. “We were disappointed but once we knew Lara was a free agent again, some calls were made, and she went down to San Diego Christian..

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When Lara got there, “I really liked their coach (Will Cunningham) and their players. And when he offered me that much, I had to take it.”

Before she decided on a college, Lara Hertzog was busy helping VCA to the Southern Section Division V-A 2005 and 6 basketball championships.

“It was an awesome senior year,” she said. “I wanted to go out a winner my senior year, and I did.”

Hertzog set VCA girls basketball career records for points (1,642), rebounds (1,059), field goal percentage (.687) and offensive rebounds (576).

“She did this in three years,” said Stan Bickley. “She was on the junior varsity her freshman year.”

Hertzog set school season records in 2005-6 for points (767), rebounds (446), point average (25.6), rebounding average (14.9), field goal percentage, field goals made, offensive and defensive rebounds. This season she set school girls single game marks for points (46) and rebounds (23).

She said she will play power forward in college.

“I think I'll swing right into it,” Hertzog said. “I've been wanting to play a little more outside and now I'll get the chance.

“I'll take a weightlifting class at Hancock College this summer. Plus, I'll run a lot to get in shape. It's warm down there, and I'll have to get used to it.”

Hertzog helped lead the Lions to two divisional volleyball finals. They lost both times, but Hertzog particularly distinguished herself this past season. She was VCA's runaway kill leader.

“I'll talk to the volleyball coach about trying to walk on in volleyball,” at San Diego Christian, said Hertzog.

Once Hertzog passed on Biola, Bickley said the renewed recruiting process for the senior was “unusual.”

Bickley said, “Three different colleges called. My son was coaching down there, but he thought Will had finished his recruiting. Then coach Cunningham called me on my cell phone at softball practice and said, ‘Is she interested in coming down (for a visit)?”

She was, and Hertzog was sold on San Diego Christian.

Besides, “We have family down that way, and my husband's best friend just moved to the area,” said Jackie Hertzog. “So she'll have people at the games.”

Bickley said, “We're going to miss her, the joy she brought to the game. She loved to play. And she loved to improve.”

May 12, 2006